Ruben Amorim Responds To Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United Title Prediction

‎Sir Alex Ferguson suggested it could be another “10 or 11 years” before Manchester United win the title again, a claim that Ruben Amorim publicly challenged.

‎Ferguson, who led United to 13 of their 20 league titles, the most recent in 2013, was asked when a 21st title might come.

‎“It could be 10 years, could be 11,” Ferguson told Press Box PR.

‎“I remember looking back on my own time, starting off [in November 1986] when Liverpool were the bee’s knees. They were a ­ club, winning the European Cup four times, but then it took them 31 ­[actually 30] years to win the league again [after 1990].

‎”We are now in the same situation [as Liverpool in the 1990s].”

‎Amorim responded ­diplomatically but suggested the wait for another title would not extend to a decade. “He [Ferguson] understands football more than me, especially English football,” the Portuguese said.

‎“We will not take that long to win a league [though] I don’t know which manager [will be here then].”

‎Amorim criticized what he called a sense of “entitlement” among some United players.

‎Last Sunday, when asked why more youth players weren’t used, the head coach said Harry Amass was “struggling” on loan at Sheffield Wednesday, and that Chido Obi was not always starting for United’s under-21s.

‎Amass responded by posting a photo of himself with Wednesday’s November player of the month award, while Obi posted an image of a goal for the under-21s. Both posts were deleted shortly after.

‎Amorim said, “It is the feeling of entitlement that we have in our club. Nowadays, they speak and go against the club because they feel entitled, and then we have legends of the club saying, ‘If you don’t play, leave.’

‎We have to fight against this feeling. The players sometimes forget what it means to play for Manchester United. The door to my office is open, nobody is coming to talk to me, and that is the way we can solve things, so I think we need to change as a club.”

‎Amorim’s remarks follow comments from former United midfielder Paul Scholes suggesting Kobbie Mainoo should move to Chelsea.

‎Mainoo’s half-brother, Jordan Kwadwo Osei Mainoo-Hames, wore a “Free Kobbie Mainoo” T-shirt during Monday’s 4-4 draw with Bournemouth and posted the image on Instagram. Mainoo has yet to start a league match this season.

‎Amorim said he would not take action against the 20-year-old for his half-brother’s actions.

‎“It was not Kobbie that wore the T-shirt,” he said.

‎“He is not going to start because of the T-shirt or go to the bench because of it. He is going to play if he is the right player to play. I am not going to do something to Kobbie because someone in his family is doing something.

‎”And he played really well [when coming on versus Bournemouth] so that is the important thing.”

‎Casemiro will miss Sunday’s trip to Aston Villa due to suspension, and Amorim has previously suggested Mainoo could someday be capable of filling Casemiro’s holding role.

‎In the summer, Amorim talked about forming a leadership group to handle certain issues and was asked if the incident involving Mainoo’s half-brother illustrated that approach.

‎“It continues a bit everything is on my desk, but my door is still open,” he said.

‎It emerged this week that Amorim’s captain, Bruno Fernandes, believes the hierarchy wanted him to leave in the summer window, and in a previous one.

‎Amorim was asked about this and Fernandes’s claim that some teammates do not value United as he does. The midfielder had been speaking with the Portuguese Football Federation’s in-house channel.

‎Amorim said, “He spoke with the club before that interview, and we can avoid these things, but he talked with the board, and everything is clear. I don’t know if it is fair [the claim about teammates].

‎”He spoke his feelings and he needs to answer for that, not me.”